About a half-hour later, Rud was looking at several elegant homes overlooking the river, and one was larger than the rest. He could see wagons from town bringing food and other items to the fine homes. Rud convinced one of the delivery men to let him ride along. Rud explained he had never seen such big houses with all the fancy people, which was true. When they arrived at the most prominent house, servants came out to bring in the delivered goods. Rud jumped down, picked up the heaviest item, and asked where they wanted it. The servant who was in charge said, "Follow me."

Rud dropped the heavy package on a large kitchen table and walked back out with the servant. Rud asked, "Weren't all the people who lived here murdered?" The servant did not respond, just looked down and kept walking. Rud picked up the next heavy item and carried it into the house. As Rud walked back to the wagon, the servant said, "You would do well not to talk about the family that lived here before, especially with the current owner around."

Rud said, "It's good the brother of the man killed could take over and keep it in the family. I am sorry, it seems like you cared for the family that was killed. I heard some children drowned too." The servant said, "We all loved those kids, that bastard brother was the one that killed them. It isn't right, but if you don't want to drown too, you better keep your mouth shut and keep moving."

Rud shook the servant's hand, said his name was Joseph, and he'd see him next time. The servant replied, "Smith." Back on the wagon, the driver told Rud he could ride and carry the heavy stuff anytime. Rud said, "I think I am going to take that man's advice and keep moving." The driver replied it was probably the smart thing to do.

* * * * *

Rud found a place to sit and think where he could still see the big house. He thought about killing the uncle. It would be easy to do. Rud thought if he did without Patience's blessing, it might make her hate him, and he did not want Patience to hate him. When he left her, it seemed Patience had feelings for him. Rud again touched the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him.

Going to her uncle for help was out of the question now, and Rud hoped it meant Patience would not be leaving. At the same time, Rud felt sorry for Patience and the boy as they had no family left that could help them. It would be devastating news.

He thought about getting Smith a message to let him know the boy and Patience are safe, but it would be too big a secret to keep while living under the uncle's roof. Rud wished he could find something of the boys that might help him get better. Something of his life before might bring him out of whatever was causing him not to speak. How could he do that without giving up his secret? Rud hated a liar and was surprised how easy it had been for him to lie earlier. Maybe he could get away with it one more time.

Rud hid near what had to be the servant's outhouse. After a couple of hours, Rud saw Smith step off the back porch and head to the outhouse. Rud would wait, and when Smith came out of the outhouse, he would try and get his attention. But instead of going to the outhouse, Smith walked directly over to where Rud was hiding, stopped, and lit his pipe.

Before Rud could say anything, Smith said, "I know that is you Joseph or whatever your name is. Whatever you have planned, you won't get away with it, and there has already been too much killing." Rud, in a low voice, replied, "I was doing some work for a man who had found two small bodies about twenty miles upriver from here. They had nothing, not even their clothes."

Rud was making up this story as he went, "The women in the village made burial clothes for them, and the villagers laid them to rest as best they could. One of the men had recently returned from downriver and said they must be those two rich kids that had disappeared from this town. It isn't right that those two kids went in the ground with nothing, not even their names."

Rud continued. "I was hoping to get something of theirs to put with them. I am not asking for anything of value, just something personal. It is something I must do before continuing my journey." Rud was getting good at lying. Smith turned and walked back to the house without a word. Maybe Rud was not that good at lying after all.

Rud withdrew to a point where he could watch the house and, if need be, come up with a new plan. Shortly after the sun went down, he saw Smith head to the outhouse. Rud moved quickly down to where he had been earlier. Smith came out of the outhouse and walked over to where Rud was hiding. Smith dropped two small packages he had hid in his waistcoat.

Smith said, "Their names were Patience and Billy. If you could scratch their names on a marker, I would thank you for it. I had to tell the upstairs maid so she could get the items out of storage, all the staff probably knows by now. You better get away as quickly as you can, and Joseph, don't ever come back and don't ever speak of this to anyone. That bastard brother is a bad man, he killed his own family, and he would not hesitate to kill a traveler or a servant."

Smith continued, "If you could ask the women who made the burial clothes to put fresh flowers on their graves from time to time, an old man who loved those kids would speak kindly of them for the rest of his life. Now go, my friend, that bastard will be home soon."

As Rud left, he saw several women on the back porch who appeared to be sobbing. Smith walked up to them, put his arms around them, and escorted the women back into the house. Smith seemed to be an honest and caring man. Rud felt very bad about lying to Smith, but maybe it gave them some closure and will protect Patience and the boy.

Fortunately, where the elegant homes were, there was not much else. Rud retrieved the supplies he had stashed earlier and, in the dark, quickly covered the two miles back to where the mule was hobbled. Along with the supplies, he stuffed the two packages from Smith in a large pouch, made sure there was nothing left behind to give him away, then headed home.

It was almost dark on the third day when he rode the mule back into their valley. The small trace of smoke wafting from the chimney was a pleasant sight. Patience and the boy had heard Rud when he crossed the rocky hill and had started down the trail to greet him.

When they met, Rud dismounted and lifted the boy onto the mule. Rud gave Patience her new brush, mirror, and ribbons, and her smile told him he had made the right choice. Patience took Rud's hand in hers as they walked back to the cabin. As he rode on the mule, the boy munched loudly on the hard candy Rud had bought him.

* * * * *

Patience just kept looking at Rud with a broad smile on her face. She wanted to tell Rud something but decided to wait until after he had finished his supper. In the past two months, Patience had spent every day with Rud, and that something she had liked about him the first morning had grown into love. Two months is not a long time, but she was around Rud nearly every minute of every day. He slept only feet from her every night.

In Patience's mind, she had already spent more time with Rud than any couple who had courted in the usual way. Being together every day for two months had to be like two years of seeing each other several times a week. She felt she knew him as well as any woman ever knew any man they loved.

At first, she thought she felt this way because he had saved her and her brother's life. She was grateful, but now she felt a desperate need for him to be with her. All she could think about while he was gone was how much she wanted him to return. There was no doubt in Patience's mind, this was love, and she was certain Rud felt the same way.